Hello from Seattle!

[lienmeat]

Hi everybody!

I'm new to the forum, but have been a fan of FT on youtube for about 2 years.
I have one successful speed build of a FT Tiny Trainer flying great since last summer.

I've only flown it (or anything, actually) a handful of times, but decided this spring/summer I'm going to try to really get into scratch building, and building new designs if I can, as I really love messing with the plane and seeing how it performs, and think making experimental planes could be a great hobby for me.

A week ago I got the FT Aura 5 Lite, because I tend to overreact/over correct a lot when flying, and don't want to ruin my plane. I flew it successfully last night in 6 axis mode in a 3 channel setup on the Tiny Trainer. FT Aura 5 Lite is AMAZING, and it made me look like a Pro...until I got it stuck in a tree when I turned the wrong way. I got it down, but, embarrassing.

Anyway, I'm interested in where people fly around the Shoreline/Edmonds area (which is where I actually live), and possibly some wisdom/help on learning to fly. I got RealFlight9 to help me learn, and it's helping, but it'd be nice to have someone tell me what I'm doing wrong in real life/how to improve.

 

[Merv]

Welcome to the forums.
I agree flight stabilization & simulators are useful tools but they are no substitute for in person instruction.

 

[speedbirdted]

Welcome!

Try searching around your area to see if there are any RC clubs. Many will be all too happy to accept new members and are willing to help give you in-person instruction with stuff like buddy boxing. Many also have things like prepared runways and specialized areas to do field work on planes.

Simulators can be helpful, but honestly I wouldn't recommend training a pilot on one. I find they frankly just don't replicate the real world conditions of flying an RC plane all that well, which makes it difficult to get the hang of controlling a plane at first. However once you get better at flying they are useful to help practice things like aerobatics. As a guy who lives a 45 minute drive from his field this is really nice!

 

["Corpse"]

Hi everybody!

I'm new to the forum, but have been a fan of FT on youtube for about 2 years.
I have one successful speed build of a FT Tiny Trainer flying great since last summer.

I've only flown it (or anything, actually) a handful of times, but decided this spring/summer I'm going to try to really get into scratch building, and building new designs if I can, as I really love messing with the plane and seeing how it performs, and think making experimental planes could be a great hobby for me.

A week ago I got the FT Aura 5 Lite, because I tend to overreact/over correct a lot when flying, and don't want to ruin my plane. I flew it successfully last night in 6 axis mode in a 3 channel setup on the Tiny Trainer. FT Aura 5 Lite is AMAZING, and it made me look like a Pro...until I got it stuck in a tree when I turned the wrong way. I got it down, but, embarrassing.

Anyway, I'm interested in where people fly around the Shoreline/Edmonds area (which is where I actually live), and possibly some wisdom/help on learning to fly. I got RealFlight9 to help me learn, and it's helping, but it'd be nice to have someone tell me what I'm doing wrong in real life/how to improve.

The way I try to get good at flying is just to practice. Practice practice practice! I while ago I went about a year without much flying at all and I flew really badly, but as you practice more it hones one's skills. Good luck!

 

[lienmeat]

Welcome!

Try searching around your area to see if there are any RC clubs. Many will be all too happy to accept new members and are willing to help give you in-person instruction with stuff like buddy boxing. Many also have things like prepared runways and specialized areas to do field work on planes.

There are a few RC clubs around me, and I've considered them but they are 30ish mins away, and all require a AMA membership, and kinda pricey. There is a park 4 mins away that has a large baseball field I've been flying in, and nobody seems to mind so far. I've seen others flying drones there sometimes. I just am not sure I'm ready to commit the cost of the AMA membership plus RC club dues for a 30 min drive, on a good traffic day. 1hr round trip limits the time I'll get in the air significantly, due to juggling work/other obligations. I do wish for instruction though, so maybe it's worth it just for that? I don't really need an area to work on my plane. I just bring spare parts with me to the park and it's quick to swap if I nosedive and break a prop or power pod.